March 09, 2005

Beware - New Cellphone virus spreads via messages
RELATED ENTRIES

Finnish software security firm. F-Secure Corp., warns of a new virus spreading via messages containing photos and sounds, the first of its kind and a threat to cellphones globally.

As of Tuesday, there had been no reports of actual attacks by the Commwarrior virus, said U.S. software security company Symantec Corp, however according to Ero Carrera, an Anti-virus researcher at F-Secure, the potential for the Commwarrior virus to spread is big. In the past, viruses attacking cellphones have spread only through Bluetooth wireless connections, but the new threat is greater because it can also spread through messages.

"It's the first case of this nature," Mr. Carrera said in an interview Tuesday. 'It would be equivalent to e-mail in computers. If it were to start going around ... it actually has the potential of becoming really widespread.'

HOW IT SPREADS Commwarrior spreads via Bluetooth connections or through text messages that also include pictures, video or audio clips. It could affect cellphones that run on Symbian Series 60 operating software. The virus tries to transfer files to other Bluetooth-enabled devices. It also automatically sends messages to cellphones and e-mail addresses obtained in the infected phone's contact list.

WHAT IT DOES Drains battery power and a racks up fees for the sent messages.

Sponsor Someone has to pay the bills around here . Luxuriating in gadgets does not come cheap these days Entry continues below...				Advertisement

EMAIL THIS ENTRY TO A FRIEND

EMAIL ENTRY TO: YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS: MESSAGE (optional):

SPONSOR ADS